“That’s the wonderful thing about man; he never gets so discouraged or disgusted that he gives up doing it all over again, because he knows very well it is important and WORTH the doing. Just like properly using your turnout.” Fahrenheit 451
Ray Bradbury
It is a well known fact that Bradbury’s ‘Fahrenheit 451’ was originally about burning only dance instruction books that did not satisfactorily explain turnout
Yesterday, it was suggested that since Alex Davison was poking fun at Sascha Radetsky, he must not like him.
CORRECTION: This is not true. Alex Davison respects and admires Sascha Radetsky, and if Sascha is reading this then maybe he and Alex could have a fun inside joke like saying ‘You’re not Splotchy’ whenever they talk because that would be pretty cool.
‘You’re not splotchy’
Last week it was suggested that Sascha Radetsky gave us a great performance in Dead Snow 2.
CORRECTION: We now know that Sascha Radetsky was in no way involved in the making of Dead Snow 2.
Sascha Radetsky is not in this picture
Alex Davison regrets the error
Last week we called Cooper Nielsen the greatest Romeo in history.
CORRECTION: We now know that he is merely the greatest Romeo since Jonathan himself.
Alex Davison regrets the error.
I am often asked by aspiring professional dancers how to create a great resume. Obviously, building the experience to create a truly great resume takes many years and a fantastic amount of work. However, creating just a resume using Word or Pages is very simple when you lie.
To make a great resume, you first need to know what a resume includes when it is built on the exploits of people who have actually accomplished great things. For example, let us take a look at several resumes by eminent classical musicians.
Example 1: “Itzhak Perlman has performed with every major orchestra and at venerable concert halls around the globe.” This line is perfect for a resume, because it is basically saying that every major orchestra in the world wants Itzhak Perlman to play with them, and potential employers eat that up.
Example 2: “Lang Lang has played sold out recitals and concerts in every major city in the world.” Similar to example 1, this example is great for a resume because it is basically saying that every major city in the world wants Lang Lang to come and play a concert. Potential employers eat that up.
Example 3: “Joshua Bell has played with every major orchestra and every major concert hall in the world.” Similar to examples 1 and 2, this example is great for a resume because it is basically saying that everyone in the world wants to hear Joshua Bell play, and potential employers eat that up.
Example 4: “Yo Yo Ma is the most famous Cellist in the history of classical music. Men want to be him, and women want to be with him.” If you have reached a level at which every single person on Earth has heard of you, this is the example to use.
When you start your resume, it will not be anywhere near as impressive as these examples. Do not worry! All your resume needs is a little embellishment. This means highlighting the things that are unique to you and sound impressive, even if they are meaningless.
For example:
“(Your Name) has danced at every single barre spot in every single studio at (Your Ballet School).”
“(Your Name) has danced with every single boy/girl in partnering class.”
Be sure to avoid using any of the following examples, which may seem impressive but come off desperate:
“(Your Name) makes it a point to get to class on time each day.”
“(Your Name) is dedicated to learning every combination.”
“(Your Name) does his/her best each and very class.”
Including these on your resume is something like impressing a date with your ability to wash and dress yourself. After a certain amount of experience, certain things are just expected.
Have a specific resume question? Ask it!
Asians are good at ballet. This means they are threatening to other dancers. Nowhere is this truer than in the competition circuit, which is not real life. Often competitors relate to me their feelings that no matter how hard they work, asians seem to always be better. “Asians are guarding all the doors and holding all the keys,” they say.
And I agree. But there is hope. So far, asians have been all but invincible in competitions, and no one can stand up against their rule. But sooner or later, someone is going to have to face them.
“Someone, meaning me?” you ask?
I will not lie to you. I’ve seen an asian punch through eleven pirouettes; men have emptied entire bank accounts traveling to competitions and never topped them. Yet their strength and their speed are still based in a world that is built on rules. Because of that, they can never be as strong or as fast as you can be.
“What are you saying, that I can triple tour?” you ask?
No
I am saying that when you are ready…
you won’t have to.
Not long ago, we questioned how, if Kathleen Donahue really did not feel anything for him, she and Cooper Nielsen danced better than they ever had before. We posited that perhaps feelings that were buried under layers of psychological denial were able to express themselves freely through the dancer’s bodies while their minds were completely focused on movement.
CORRECTION: We now know the answer is that it was just acting Cooper, and that Jesus, that’s our job.
Alex Davison regrets the error.
Recently, it was declared that college dance majors could have access to careers just as rewarding as those who eschewed college in favor of immediately entering pre-professional or professional dance institutions.
Alex Davison regrets the error.
Last week, it was stated that anyone can become a dancer if he or she just believes hard enough.
Alex Davison regrets the error.
In a previous post, it was posited that those who cannot do, teach.
CORRECTION: This recently proven corollary was accidentally left out:
Those who cannot do, learn; and those who cannot learn, suck.
Alex Davison regrets the error.